CFB analyst Greg McElroy puts unrealistic expectations on current Notre Dame QB with daunting comparison
Notre Dame football is in the middle of the most open quarterback battle they have had in a very, very long time. In the Fighting Irish fanbase, there seems to be a pretty massive split in their rooting interest. Some love Steve Angeli, citing his intangibles and flashes in limited opportunities. Others are standing by […]
Notre Dame football is in the middle of the most open quarterback battle they have had in a very, very long time. In the Fighting Irish fanbase, there seems to be a pretty massive split in their rooting interest. Some love Steve Angeli, citing his intangibles and flashes in limited opportunities. Others are standing by the golden boy CJ Carr, and refreshing Google to look at his past recruiting rankings. Others come from a smaller group, hoping that Kenny Minchey gets a fair shot at the job with his tools, which may be the best of the entire group.
As things stand today, it is unlikely we gain clarity about who will be the starter until sometime this fall. Head coach Marcus Freeman is keeping his opinion very close to the vest, and the intent is for this battle to rage on for the most several months. Whoever wins in the end, Coach Freeman, offensive coordinator Mike Denbrock, and quarterbacks coach Gino Guidugli have a lot of talent to choose from.
Others in the media will continue to give their opinions on the battle until someone is named the winner of the competition. Prominent College Football analyst Greg McElroy made a strong endorsement for Angeli this week. On his podcast, Always College Football, McElroy spoke glowingly about Angeli. He also offered a daunting comparison for the talented signal caller.
"I've seen Steve Angeli thrust into action against a ferocious pass rush in Penn State and one of the best defenses in the country. I saw Steve Angeli go into the lineup and just methodically go right down the field, accurately carving up a defense. Who is to say that Steve Angeli’s ceiling, when the lights are on, isn’t outrageously high? We’ve seen him make one start and it was a couple of years ago. What if when we fast forward to this year, Steve Angeli has some awakening, and all of a sudden he is the second coming of Joe Burrow.
"Remember now, Joe Burrow at Ohio State was just a guy. In his first year at LSU, he was just a guy. Well, Steve Angeli up until this point in his career, solid, just a guy. Maybe there’s another level in there we just don’t know about because when the game flipped in Joe Burrow’s final season, when he got a chance to run an offense that was built for him, look what happened. Maybe that’s in there for Steve Angeli."
There is a lot to like about Angeli, but a comparison to someone like Burrow feels a bit over the top. They are both pocket quarterbacks with underrated mobility and modest throwing power, but Burrow is also one of the best college football quarterbacks and NFL Draft prospects we have seen in recent memory. Right or wrong, making that type of comparison adds some huge expectations for Angeli.
Burrow ended his LSU career with arguably the best season a college quarterback ever has. During that 2019 campaign, Burrow led the Tigers to an undefeated season and a National Title victory. He threw for 5,671 yards and 60 touchdowns during that season, while completing over 76 percent of his passes and adding another five scores on the ground. That performance earned Burrow the first overall spot in the 2020 NFL Draft class to the Cincinnati Bengals.
Since then, Burrow has developed into one of the best signal callers in the NFL when healthy. Most consider Patrick Mahomes to be the top quarterback in the NFL, but after that, Burrow is in the conversation with players like Josh Allen and Lamar Jackson. This comparison isn't predicting NFL success necessarily, but those expectations are created whether you want to admit it or not.
If Angeli does turn into anything close to Burrow, then Notre Dame has a strong chance to win a title in 2025. Every Irish fan will welcome that, whether you are an Angeli stan or not. As of today, Angeli and Carr feel like the favorites to eventually win the battle. McElroy just made his pick early.
Final four questions about the Notre Dame Fighting Irish heading into the second half of Spring Practice for the 2025 CFB season
Notre Dame has questions to answer
